The 2022 World Cup quarter-finals are here but 23 players are now one yellow card away from picking up a ban. Among those include Portugal duo Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix.
Selecao boss Fernando Santos has relied heavily on Fernandes and Felix leading the attack in Qatar so far this winter. The pair both started Portugal’s wins over Ghana and Uruguay in Group H, as well as their 6-1 demolition of Switzerland during the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
Now, Santos will be sweating over either of his star forwards picking up another caution in Portugal’s quarter-final against Morocco. The Atlas Lions now await the Euro 2016 winners after they eliminated Spain 3-0 on penalties. They played a goalless draw after extra time.
When do yellow cards reset at the World Cup to avoid players getting a ban?
A player only needs to receive a yellow card in two separate World Cup games through the group stage, last 16 and quarter-final to pick up a ban. Each player’s records will then reset following the quarter-final matches to be played this Friday, December 9 and Saturday 10.
So, any yellow cards received during the semi-finals will not cause a player to miss the final through suspension. But players would still have to sit out the showcase FIFA event should a referee issue them a red card over the semi-finals to be played on December 13 and 14.
Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey became the first player to receive a red card during the 2022 World Cup against Iran. Guatemalan official Mario Escobar initially gave the 35-year-old a yellow but the VAR upgraded it for his dangerous challenge on Medhi Taremi.
American Ismail Elfath, meanwhile, showed Cameroon ace Vincent Aboubakar two yellows and a red card against Brazil. He initially booked the striker after a foul in the 81st minute. Elfath then sent the 30-year-old off after removing his shirt celebrating a 93’ winning goal.
No England player is one yellow card away from a World Cup ban
Of the eight quarter-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Croatia vs Brazil, the Netherlands vs Argentina, Morocco vs Portugal and England vs France, Portugal have the most players one yellow card short of a ban. England have the least with no Three Lions players on a caution.
Gareth Southgate’s side are the only squad yet to receive a single yellow or red card across the World Cup. No other nation has fewer than two yellow cards in Spain plus quarter-final duo France and Argentina. Saudi Arabia (14) and Serbia (12) drew the most cautions so far.
So, England go into their quarter-final with France without fearing a caution could rule any players out of a semi-final with Morocco or Portugal. The Atlas Lions and Selecao meet this Saturday at 15:00 GMT before the Three Lions meet the reigning champions at 19:00 GMT.
Bleus boss Didier Deschamps, on the other hand, will be hoping Aurelien Tchouameni and Jules Kounde avoid any cautions. The pair are the only France players to receive any yellow cards at Qatar 2022 so far. They are also both key to the France set-up at this World Cup.
Tchouameni has started all four of France’s games at Qatar 2022 as Les Bleus bid to defend their Russia 2018 World Cup title. Kounde, meanwhile, has started two and played once as a substitute. The pair received their yellow cards against Poland and Denmark respectively.
Portugal have the most yellow cards among the eight quarter-finalists in 2022
Portugal have received the most yellow cards among the eight quarter-finalists at the 2022 World Cup so far with five. Fernandes, Felix, Ruben Dias, Danilo Pereira and Ruben Neves have each earned one caution ahead of the Selecao’s final-eight encounter with Morocco.
Danilo will not feature against Morocco, though, after he returned to France for treatment on an injury sustained in Qatar. Paris Saint-Germain requested he and Nuno Mendes both left the Portugal camp to work with their own medics than to stay a part of the Selecao set-up.
Santos will hope to not also lose Fernandes, Felix, Dias or Neves for a potential semi-final with England or France. Fernandes is Portugal’s lead creator with three assists over three matches. Only Goncalo Ramos (3) has also scored more goals than he and Rafael Leao (2).
Felix, meanwhile, has scored once and laid on two assists over three games amid interest from Arsenal and Manchester United. Journalist Paul Brown claims the Gunners hierarchy are ‘big fans’. Whilst The Times cites the Red Devils and an asking price of €100m (£86m).
Four Netherlands and Croatia players are a yellow card off a World Cup ban
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic will also be sweating over the availability of a raft of his players in the semi-finals. Four Vatreni stars go into the quarter-finals this weekend one yellow card away from picking up a World Cup ban. That tally also includes their captain, Luka Modric.
The Real Madrid midfielder drew a booking during his second of four appearances at Qatar 2022 so far against Canada. Dejan Lovren and Mateo Kovacic have also started all four ties and have a yellow card sitting over them. Borna Barisic was cautioned in his only game yet.
Likewise, Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal goes into Oranje’s quarter-final with Argentina knowing four players are one yellow card off a ban at the 2022 World Cup. Two of the four have also started all four of their ties in Frenkie de Jong and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake.
Teun Koopmeiners has featured in all four of the Netherlands’ games in Qatar but has only started once. He earned his only caution yet off the bench against the USA. While Matthijs de Ligt has featured twice and received a caution during his only start yet against Senegal.
Three Morocco and Brazil players are now walking a tightrope at Qatar 2022
Morocco and Brazil, meanwhile, each have three players carrying one yellow card into the quarter-finals. The Atlas Lions’ trio includes two vital players under boss Walid Regragui in Romain Saiss and Sofyan Amrabat. Abdelhamid Sabiri is also sitting with one yellow card.
As for Brazil, Eder Militao, Fred and Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are one yellow card away from a ban at the 2022 World Cup. Tite will likely be loath to lose Militao the most after starting the Real Madrid centre-half three times compared to two and zero.
Argentina have two players on a caution ahead of facing the Netherlands
Like France with Kounde and Tchouameni, two Argentina players will carry a caution into their quarter-final with the Netherlands. While Les Bleus face England on Saturday, Oranje and La Albiceleste meet on Friday at 19:00 GMT after Croatia and Brazil’s tie at 15:00 GMT.
Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna are the only Argentina players walking a tightrope into the final game before FIFA resets yellow cards causing a suspension at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The two defenders received the cautions against Mexico and Poland respectively.
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